


Needle in a Haystack

by RavineMichelle



Category: Naruto
Genre: Completed, Everyone is sassy, F/M, Failed closet handjobs, Flowers, Fluff, For Raiza, Genma being a good friend, Genma is bad at love, Pining, Secret Santa, Sort Of, also bad communication, but honestly so is Ino, but lots of closet dry humping, grand gestures: Genma Style., so that's something, they just out here trying their best
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-09-25 06:27:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17116166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavineMichelle/pseuds/RavineMichelle
Summary: My gift for the beautiful Raiza_Gabriel94"So how did it go?" She asked, sitting on the lawn to look through her bags."She thinks I'm a non-committal old man." He grunted, unloading the bags of soil next to the box where the garden was going to go. "She also thinks I'm a lecherous playboy."Aka The one where Genma catches feelings in a flower shop.





	1. Mission Start

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Raiza_Gabriel94](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raiza_Gabriel94/gifts).



 

_Ding._

Ino looked up from her work desk, ready to greet her newest customer of the day. The window she had installed six months ago had been the best decision she had made thus far. The open view allowed her to work on specialty flower orders while still being able to see what was going on in the front of the store. She furrowed her brows, recognizing that bandana anywhere. What in the world would bring Genma Shiranui into her store?

She wiped her hands and stood in the doorway, her masterfully crafted customer service smile covering any suspicions she had. “Welcome! What brings you to my neck of the woods?” She greeted warmly.

Genma was a regular at the bar she also frequented, and by his boisterous talk about his love life, she never thought he would be seen in her flower shop. Through the grapevine , she learned quickly that he bounced between women like a pinball. Not that it was any of her business.

He turned his usual mischievous eye to her before giving her a slow once over. She fought the urge to roll her eyes as he dug into his uniform pocket and pulled out a neatly folded sheet of paper.

“I’m helping a friend with her garden.” He said, handing her the note. She recognized the feminine handwriting on the page immediately.

“Why didn’t Kurenai-sensei just come in herself?” She asked, nearly missing the giant fake belly motion Genma did in response as she turned away. She rolled her eyes again at his antics before beginning to gather what was on the list. He was so…crude, sometimes.

“She said she had a few things she needed to get done on top of this, so I offered to help.” He added, and she looked of her shoulder to see him motioning to the wagon outside.

“Well, it’s nice of you to offer to help. With no ulterior motives.” She said, voice full of doubt and her eyebrow raised.

“You make it sound like you don’t believe me.” He said, the senbon in his mouth hanging precariously in his mouth as he pouted.

“I believe there’s more to the story than that. You’re a good friend, but you also don’t just do things from the kindness of your heart.” She countered, putting the first armload of goods onto the counter, ticking off the items on the list as she got them. “How is she settling into her new home?”

“She seems to be adjusting well. The baby is due in the next couple of months. We got the crib set up last weekend.” Genma answered as she put a stack of clay pots next to the plant feed. She felt a bit of guilt settle into her gut. She hadn’t visited her late sensei’s love in a while. She needed to catch up with her.

“I didn’t peg you as a man to help with babies, Shiranui.” She teased, pulling two bags of soil to the wagon.

“Normally I’m not. But this one is…”

“Different.” She offered, and Genma nodded.

“Exactly. What would you even know about my disposition on babies anyway?” He shot back, and she giggled.

“Your drunken ramblings every Saturday night made it pretty clear to me. You don’t even want a relationship, let alone a family.” She chuckled out, tallying the price of everything in a small notebook.

“People like you and me don’t do well with families.” He said, scratching the back of his head. She frowned at the statement.

“I think my parents did alright.” She said, tapping the screen of the register.

“Maybe when I’m older.” Genma said, and she couldn’t help but snicker at the statement. How old was old for Genma?

It was unnaturally silent for a few moments and when Ino looked up she say him frowning. “What?”

“What are you snickering at?” Genma said, and from the tone of his voice she could tell he had been offended by her reaction.

“I’m not entirely sure how old you are, but if you graduated with Asuma-sensei-”

“Asuma graduated after me.” Genma cut in, and Ino narrowed her eyes at the man for a moment.

“Even worse, that means you’re at least mid-thirties now-”

“I’m 33.” Ino felt the niggling of irritation blossom in the back of her head from all his interruptions.

“Which means if you don’t want them by now, you probably never will.” She finished her statement, entering amounts much harder than necessary on the touch pad.

“Men mature slower than women.” He said simply over the harsh clicking of her nails on the glass screen.

“Your brain stopped developing at 25, Shiranui. You are as mature as you’re ever going to be.” Ino dead panned, mercifully entering the last of the items and swiveled the display in his direction. “That’ll be 850 ryou.”

“You know men don’t _emotionally_ mature until like…43.” Genma said, smirking at her as he fished his wallet from his pocket.

“You’ll be dead before 43, Shiranui.” Ino retorted, counting out the money before opening the register.

“Glad to know you have such faith in my skills as a shinobi.” He pouted as she gave him his change. She lifted a perfectly groomed eyebrow at him.

“No matter how perverted you are, a Legendary Sannin you are not, Genma.” She said, stuffing the receipt in one of the bags and watched as he moved the bags into the wagon. He looked back at her and rolled his eyes at her words. She tapped her chin. “Though your flagrant attitude towards women is the same.”

Her face broke out in a grin at the affronted look Genma gave her. He held the expression for a moment before it melted into one of sheepish agreement.

“Have a good rest of your day, Ino.” He said, throwing her a lazy three finger salute.

“Tell Kurenai-sensei I’m here for her if she needs anything.” She called as he made his way out of the store. The door clattered awkwardly against the wheel of the wagon. His response of a curse wasn’t missed and Ino giggled as he yanked it over the threshold of the entrance.

She shook her head and made her way back to her workbench. She had orders to fill.

* * *

 

Genma felt a little lighter as he walked through the streets of Konoha, his interaction with Ino having went well, all things considered. He didn't get to talk to her much. Even at the bar he tended to just watch her when he wasn't pursuing other potential suitors. She was loud and outgoing most of the time in the nightlife. He had tended to ignore her when she first started showing up at the watering hole. She had been Asuma's student, powerful but still naive enough about the world to make her annoying. 

The first time he had seen Ino as anything other than Asuma's snot-nosed student was the first time she had come into the bar. She had come back from a mission, hands still bandaged and out of her usual purple outfit for a practical shorts and tank top combo. Her hair had been up in her clan's signature ponytail, but she looked drained. She had quietly drunk herself stupid that night and had to be carried home by her pink haired friend and Hatake.

He was familiar with rough missions, with the need to drown them, and the more she came into the bar he found more similarities between the two of them. Shameless flirts, lush drinkers, bad coping mechanisms yet still functional. It also didn't hurt that she was ridiculously beautiful. He has realized that day that most of her boisterous attitude was a front.

Genma came through the back gate of Kurenai's estate, waving at his friend as she stood to help him get the wagon through the gate. He gave her a quick one-armed hug as he moved the wagon to a small patch of grass.

"So how did it go?" She asked, sitting on the lawn to look through her bags. Kurenai was looking radiant, like she always did these days. She had put a sunhat on to ward off the scorching rays of the mid-summer sun.

"She thinks I'm a non-committal old man." He grunted, unloading the bags of soil next to the box where the garden was going to go. "She also thinks I'm a lecherous playboy." Dusting his hands off, he joined her to look through the bags and sort things out. Not the best first impression to go by, but it may be something he could work on.

"All those things are true, though." Kurenai commented, as he leaned back into the grass, glaring at her.

"Words hurt, Kurenai." He said, twirling his senbon around his mouth in irritation.

"Truth hurts, Genma. I'm just glad you got everything I wanted." She said, casting red eyes over his haul. Her eyes slid to his, and she raised her eyebrow. "Did you get what you wanted?"

Genma rolled his eyes. "All I wanted was information on what she thought of me. You could have done that for me." He said, watching Kurenai's face morn into a smirk.

"I could have, but I like to see you squirm."

"Pregnancy has turned you into a real sadist, did you know that?" He grumbled, sitting up to get them started on setting up the garden. Kurenai laughed and shifted herself, standing and making her way the box. He sliced open one of the bags of soil and began pouring as Kurenai spread it out evenly.

"You also don't need me to wingman for you, especially when it comes to Ino Yamanaka. If she likes you, she likes you. If she doesn't, all this will be for nothing." Kurenai stated, and Genma emptied the bag before moving to the next bag.

"It's not like I'm looking for anything long term here, Kurenai. You could have gotten all this for yourself."

"If you thought that then why did you offer to get it for me?" She teased and Genma bit back the truth for a simple shrug. He just wanted an excuse to see her. Ever since that somber night in the bar she had captivated him

A quiet fell over them as they finished prepping the garden box. Kurenai sat back after they were finished, her hands filthy but a satisfied smile on her face. "So, what's your next step of this mission, Shiranui?" She huffed, wiping the sweat from her brow.

He could only shrug his shoulders at this point. He hasn't thought this far ahead. He wanted to see her again, but he didn't have much of an excuse to. "Not sure, really. Maybe I'll see her at the bar this weekend." He said, pulling the nursery pod of plants closer to the box.

"I'm going to figure out what I want in these pots before I go back to the store next week." She said, and the intention in her words not lost on him. He let the silence settle between them as he weighed his options. The bar was sooner than next week, but maybe meeting in the daytime was for the best.

"Yeah, sure. Write down what you want and I'll go for you again." He said, scrubbing his face with his hand before he turned his attention back to the plants.

* * *

 

Ino was once again making flower arrangements when Genma walked through the door. She looked up, smiling at the familiar blue bandana and peeked her head through the back entryway.

"Welcome back, what can I help with?" She greeted, setting the flowers on the counter before holding her hand out. He placed the list in her hand.

"Peace lilies, huh? Succulents, Dahlias....Kurenai-sensei always had good taste in plants." She said, motioning him to follow her.

"She also wanted to grow....tuberoses, I think?" The man said, juggling the plastic pots she put into his arms.

"I have some tuberose bulbs. Any particular color she wanted?" Ino asked, flitting over to her container that held all her tuberose bulbs. She sighed happily as she glanced at the identifier card. Tuberoses were some of her favorites.

"A...All? All of them?" He suggested, and he looked positively clueless as to what the right answer could have possibly been. She chuckled and nodded, putting a few of the netted bags into a box before moving on to the vegetable seed display.

"Did Kurenai-sensei get her set up all finished for the most part then?" She asked, cherry picking some of the packages off the racks and tossing them in with the bulbs.

"Yeah, she got most of it done last weekend. She wanted me to get the rest of this before I go on mission next week." He said, and Ino looked back at him as he placed the pots in the wagon.

"Leaving for a long one I take it?" She inquired, and he just shrugged as a response.

"Nothing too long, I don't think. Very dangerous stuff though." He said, but the sarcasm that laced through his voice told her it was anything but. Probably an escort mission then. She personally hated them. All that walking and pretending to actually enjoy the company of their charges.

"Well in that case, stay safe Shiranui. I know a few women who would be very disappointed if you died in action." She teased, shifting to get a few items from the shelf next to the seeds.

"Would you happen to be one of those women?" He asked, and Ino froze on her tip toes at the question. Would she be sad if Genma disappeared in duty?

"I would be sad if you died." She said lightly, scooting a hard to reach bottle of feed closer to the edge. She felt a sudden warmth on her back, and she watched as Genma's arm appeared above her, easily plucking the bottle off the shelf. She fought off a blush, the sudden invasion of her personal space making her heart race.

"Speaking of women who would miss me, you weren't at the bar this weekend. Everything ok?" He asked, and she let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding as he stepped away. She cleared her throat, regaining her composure before turning to look at him.

"Why, you miss me that much?" She asked, leaning against the shelf. He noticed when she wasn't at the bar. What a curious development. She watched as his eyes widened and he shook his head almost too vigorously.

"The...um....the owner asked about it, is all. You're a regular." He said, and she didn't have to probe his mind to know he was lying. Her fingers tapped against the counter, and she sucked her teeth in thought.

"I've been pulling late nights trying to make sure everything is ready for a wedding this weekend. My dad gave me the responsibility for it. It's my first one without any guidance, so it's been a lot of work." Ino said, sliding past him to go to the counter and ring everything up.

"Can't your friend help you? The, um....pink haired one?" He asked, and she snickered at how his voice went higher at his uncertainty of the detail. What a horrible ninja, not even able to keep his details straight in his own mind.

"Sakura." She provided, entering a few totals before continuing. "And she has a whole hospital to run. Not much time to help with baby's breath and flower arrangements." She turned to look at all the flowers scattered around the back room. She still had so much to do.

"I can...help? If you need it?" Her head whipped around, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Why would you want to do that? You hate weddings." She said, crossing her arms and giving him a once over. Helping Kurenai was a completely different situation to helping her. They barely knew each other.

Genma rolled his eyes, his shoulders sagging at the comment.

"Everything drunk me says isn't always what I really think." He said, and Ino gave the most unladylike snort possible at the statement.

"That's literally the point of alcohol, Shiranui. It lowers inhibitions and makes people say what they really think." She said, turning her attention back to the till.

"Look, do you want help or not?" He asked, and her lips morphed into a small smirk at the exasperation in his voice.

"I have to have these done by tomorrow. Would you be able to come in tonight?" She asked, looking up at him expectantly. Friday was bar night.

"Yeah, I can do that." He said easily, and she raised a blonde brow at him. What kind of game was he playing, exactly?

"Alright. Come by at seven. You can help me then." She said, giving him the total and finishing the transaction. She handed him the box of supplies.

"It's a date." He said, grinning triumphantly at her past the needle in his mouth.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, old man. I'm just taking the free labor." She said, leaning against the counter and resting her head in her palm. Genma rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Keep that up and I won't be coming."

"Sounds like a lonely existence if you don't come." She quipped back, straightening herself as he nearly choked on the needle in his mouth. She made her way back to her workstation as the bell for the door chimed. If she added an extra sway to her hips, no one was the wiser.

* * *

 

Genma left the wagon abandoned on the back porch as he knocked on the door to Kurenai's house. He had no idea what he was doing anymore when it came from Ino, or even what he wanted from her. He greeted his friend silently before flopping onto her couch, burying his face into one of the cushions.

"I take it the visit didn't go well?" Kurenai guessed, and Genma listened to her footsteps move past the couch to the kitchen.

"She's going to be the death of me." He complained, his words muffled by the decorative pillow he was using to hide his face. Kurenai let out a non-committal noise.

"She's just a girl, Genma, get yourself together." She said. He looked up at her from his spot on the couch to glare at her.

"Normally, yeah but now it's..."

"You've got it so bad." Kurenai said, a delighted expression lighting up her face. Genma frowned.

"Got what bad?" He asked, standing to make his way to the kitchen.

"The love bug." Kurenai teased lightly, reaching out to tug at a stray hair. He waved her hand away before shooting his senbon into a corkboard hung next to the window. Kurenai had installed it so he wouldn't ruin her walls with his bad habit.

"I am _not_ in love with her. I'm just....intrigued." He countered, looking around at the newly hung greenery Kurenai had hung around the space. She was supposed to wait for him to help her with that.

"Mm." She said, wholly unconvinced.

"I'm _not!"_ He exclaimed, and the unimpressed look she gave him was beginning to get a small sparkle of humor in it.

"Mm."

"Stop that."

"Mm."

"I'm going home now." Genma said, furrowing his brows before going to retrieve his senbon from the wall.

"No, no. Stay. Tell me what happened." Kurenai said, putting a placating hand on his forearm. He sighed, looking at her before nodding. He sat on a bar stool as she put a cup of tea in front of him.

"I'm going to help her at the shop tonight." He said, taking a small sip of his tea as his friend got situated across the counter of him.

"Like a date?" She asked, and Genma just stared into his tea for a moment before shaking his head.

"Not according to her." He said, taking his trusty needle and using it to stir the contents of his mug absently.

"But you want it to be." It wasn't a question. She already knew the answer. Still he shrugged.

"I just don't...want to hurt her. She seems like a nice girl and I'm..."

"Ino Yamanaka can take care of herself, Genma. She's had a lot of bad luck when it comes to boys in her life. She is probably into you, she's just. Guarded. Like someone else I know." Her red eyes locked with his as she spoke, and he could only nod in response.

"I just want to take it slow, for once." He huffed, the soft tinkling of his senbon hitting the ceramic of the cup filling the silence that followed.

"Sounds a lot like you're in love." Kurenai said softly, pulling a basket of muffins between the two of them.

"I'm not. But I could be , eventually." He said, plucking a muffin out and peeling off the wrapper.

"Mm." Genma felt his jaw twitch in irritation.

" _Could you please stop doing that?"_ He asked. Kurenai let out a soft giggle, shaking her head.

"Uh-uh. My house. I can make whatever noises I want." She said simply around a large bite of muffin.

Genma rolled his eyes, dumping the rest of his tea out into the sink before stretching.

"I'm going to head home and clean." He said, giving Kurenai a hug.

"Planning on taking her home?" Kurenai teased, and the groan Genma let out could have been heard in the next house over.

"Actually, no. I plan on just helping her." He said, walking to the door and waving goodbye. He ignored her exclamations of his love as he made his way down the front steps. He wasn't in love.

 


	2. Tiny Closets Spell Trouble

"You actually came." Ino said, surprised. She looked up at the man leaning against the doorframe. Her eyes trailed to the rather large brown bag in his hands. "What's this?"

"It's Saturday. I figured we can bring the bar to us." He said, holding it out for her to take. She looked at him suspiciously, closing her hand around the bag and letting him in. She was glad she had organized all the flowers during the day.

"Such a gentleman." She deadpanned, letting him into the shop. She looked him over, realizing he wasn't in his usual jonin uniform as he rolled up the sleeves of his black button up. "You're going to get pollen all over that." She commented as she led him into the back room.

And here I am trying to look good for our date." Genma jested. Ino look back at him, her eyes full of mirth.

"Not a date, Shiranui." She quipped, setting a stool in front of a huge stack of flowers. "Start putting those," She pointed to each individual bundle of flowers in front of him. "In these."

She turned to the brown bag he had set in a small open space on the table. Peeking in, she grinned at the large sake jug and the two cups. One glass couldn't hurt.

She poured herself a generous helping, taking a moment to ponder before pouring one for Genma as well. She set the glass in front of him.

"Why spend your time doing free labor?" She asked, pruning the large bouquet in front of her. She looked up to see him shrug.

"The bar didn't have much for me tonight." He said simply, looking at her. His eyebrows wiggled suggestively. She rolled her eyes, but she let a smile play on her lips.

"And here does?" She asked, moving to her own stool.

"Here has plenty." Genma said, and the way he looked at her made it clear that, in some capacity, her company was enough. She tried to ignore how warm that realization made her.

"You're a gross old man." She said instead, wrinkling her nose.

"And yet here you are, drinking my liquor." Genma pointed out, taking a few flowers and gingerly setting them in the vase before him.

Ino nodded her head, assenting to that fact.

"I am indeed. You know buying a girl a drink or 7 doesn't mean you get to take her home, right?"

"I figured that. But I also figured that if I came to the girl it might increase my chances."

"You’re super gross," Ino reiterated, but she had to fight to say it through her chuckles. Genma just grinned back before turning his attention to his task. They turned to their individual tasks as she downed her cup of sake. The liquid warmed her belly, the heat radiating out all the way to her toes.

"Why did you offer to help?" Ino said as she reached over to pour herself another. She would just sip this one. She had to pace herself, or she wouldn't get anything done tonight.

"Because this old man wanted relatively quiet company tonight." Genma said, chuckling to himself. Ino felt the heat on her face at his words.

"I suppose you aren't that old." She relented, snipping a few stray leaves before looking at Genma. "I'm glad to know you mistakenly think I'm quiet though." She giggled, setting the arrangement off to the side before pulling another to her.

Genma did the best he could, she noted as she shifted a few of the flowers in his newest finished vase. It could have been worse.

They worked in relative silence after that, methodically finishing both the arrangements and the oversized bottle of sake.

She felt her body become sluggish with each passing vase, and she frowned as she reached for some ribbon that was no longer there.

Looking down, she noticed that all the precut strips she had prepared beforehand were gone.

She stood, holding onto the counter and waiting for the room to calm the fuck down with its spinning before she made her way past Genma. Opening a small closet, she flipped the light on and looked around for the ribbon.

She looked up and let out a long whine.

Why did her father always put the ribbon so high up?

"Genma?" She called out before she leaned against the metal shelving behind her.

"Yes, Ino?"

"I need more ribbon."

"So get it." She huffed and rolled her eyes.

"I would, if it weren't so high up."

"Don't you have a step stool for these situations?"

“I'm half a bottle in, Shiranui. Do you want me to break my neck?" She called back and turned a lazy eye over to her companion.

She heard him sigh over the scraping of his chair on the linoleum. She shot him a grin.

“Where is it?” He asked, squeezing into the small closet with her. She looked up to the top shelf, pointing to a box.

She watched as he stretched his arms up, a small sliver of his back peeking from his under his button up. She was reminded of his unsolicited help the week before and felt her face flush at the memory. She wondered idly if she would have seen the muscles of his back then, too.

“See something you like?” He asked, and she snapped from her reverie to see him smirking smugly at her. She fought down her flush and thought about her situation for a moment. They were alone, and she was feeling particularly brave.

“Yeah, actually. I do.” She said, throwing a cocky grin his way. She watched as the smirk on his face faltered, turning into a surprised frown. She bit her lip, straightening herself and leaned closer to him. “What about you?”

“Don’t start something you might not want to finish, Ino.” He warned softly, and the space between then felt charged with something that wasn’t there before. Her eyes raked over his frame.

“What if I want to finish it?” She asked, taking a small step towards him. She had to tilt her head up in order to meet his eyes. He was much taller when he didn’t slump like he usually did.

“You’re drunk, we really shouldn’t.”

“Like you haven’t had drunken trysts in a confined space before.” She countered, reaching her hand out to let her fingers dance up his forearm. She smirked in satisfaction as his skin dimpled at her touch.

“Trysts, huh? Pulling out those big words now.” He chuckled but didn’t try to move her hand.

“That wasn’t much of an answer, Genma.”

“I mean, of course I have. It’s just…”

Ino raised her brow, taking a more confident forward. She rested her hand around his bicep.

“Just what?” She pouted.

The muscle in his jaw twitched. “You’re too pretty for your own good, has anyone told you that?” He murmured, and she fixed her eyes on his hand as it went up to his mouth. His hand slowly pulled the senbon from his lips before tucking it behind his ear.

The air become almost stiflin g between them as he shifted closer. “Once or twice, yeah.” She whispered. He loomed over her, dominating her space, and she blushed as he let the box of ribbon clatter to the ground.

His hands were warm against her bared midriff as pulled her close, capturing her lips with his. A whimper escaped her lips as she closed her eyes, his scent enveloping her. Even surrounded by flowers the scent of sandalwood wafted in her nose.

She groaned as she pressed closer to him, moving them back in the small closet. She giggled as cleaning supplies rained off the shelves from the force  of him knocking into the shelves.

“Someone’s eager.” He murmured against her lips, and she responded with sliding her hands up to his shoulders. She used him as an anchor as she pressed her lips harder to his. She _was_ eager, it had been too long since she’d been touched like this. 

Ino trailed her left hand up to his hair, twisting her fingers around the brown tendrils that peaked out from under his bandana. She was so focused on him that she almost missed the click of the door. She opened her eyes to darkness, and she waited for a moment for her eyes to adjust before looking up at him.

“There’s no point in closing the door for privacy, Genma. The store is locked up.” She whispered, the digits of her right hand trailing down his chest. He was much more fit than she had given him credit for. She scrunched her nose in concentration as her fingers refused to cooperate. Her left hand joined the task of unbuttoning his dress shirt.

“Don’t your parents have keys to the store?” He asked, and she was momentarily distracted by strong fingers removing the tie from her hair. She could have purred as he massaged her scalp. She fought the urge to melt into a puddle, taking a moment to center herself. She needed to focus on the mission at hand: Getting Genma out of this stupid shirt.

“Don’t kill my boner right now, Shiranui.” She growled, managing two more buttons before frustration got the better of her. The sharp tings of buttons hitting the floor were almost overtaken by Genma’s protests.

“This was my nicest shirt, woman!”

“I assumed your love of needles translated to the knowledge of sewing. Just put them back on.” She said dismissively, trailing heated kisses across his chest. Her fingers went to work on the buckle of his belt before continuing to his jean buttons.

She lightly dragged her nails across his stomach before snapping the elastic of his underwear playfully. “I knew you were a boxer brief man.” She let out a squeak as he switched their positions quicker than lightning.

“You’re a demon, did you know that?” He growled in her ear, and she felt herself clench down on nothing as he pushed his knee between her legs.

“And yet here you are.” She teased breathlessly, her fingertips dipping under his waistband, combing through the coarse hair there. She wrapped her hand around his length, gaining confidence as he inhaled sharply through his teeth. Ino let her eyes trail up his chiseled abdomen, his muscles clenching as she started stroking him slowly.

She looked up, catching his gaze. His face was unreadable as her other hand ghosted down his stomach, hooking a finger on his underwear. He hissed as she exposed sensitive flesh to the cool air, pressing his forehead to hers. She felt herself blush as she gave him a firm stroke, the whole ordeal feeling especially intimate in the way his eyes never left hers.

“Why are you staring at me?” She asked quietly, gasping as his thigh made full contact with her clothed sex. He never answered her as he began agonizingly slow circular motions with his knee. Goosebumps erupted on her skin from the simple motion, putting her nerves on edge, eager for more contact.

She swiped her thumb  against the head of his cock, taking pleasure in the way his breath hitched in response. For a man that likes to listen to himself talk so much he was sure having trouble now.  She couldn’t help but giggle to herself. Who knew it was this easy to shut the notorious Genma Shiranui up with just a simple hand job.

Her giggle melted into a moan as he ground his thigh harder against her, the soft silk of her underwear brushing against her clit. The pleasure zipped down to her toes, making her knees shake from the force of it.

“What’s so funny princess?” He rumbled in her ear, his voice so low and rough with desire that it make her shiver. Desire for _her._ Or her hand at the very least. The thought that he wanted her so much it was tangible was thrilling in and of itself. She gave a twist of her wrist in response.

“I thought I had shut you up with just my hand around your dick, but I see your brain is still functioning properly.” She said as confidently as she could. The way the fabric was bunching and rubbing against her most intimate parts made it a particularly difficult task to accomplish.

“You should know better, princess.” He grinned, leaning down and capturing her lips in a kiss. She let out a soft moan, her eyes slipping closed as she let her hips meet the rhythm he established. Her brain chastised her as she chased the wave of pleasure. She couldn’t find it in her to care much that the situation wasn’t the most becoming.

The harsh sound of canvas ripping made her eyes shoot open wide, her once secured apron pooling uselessly around her hips. Her mouth fell open in disbelief as he tossed the ruined fabric to the side.

“I liked that apron!” She whined indignantly, but her protests died in her throat as Genma took full advantage of the new expanses of her body he made accessible. His hands were greedy, slipping under her top with the practiced ease of someone who had done this many times before.

“Tit for tat, Yamanaka.” He teased, his expression turning into one of a predator’s, ready to devour her whole. Her irritation melted away as his lips latched to her neck. She struggled to keep focus on the rhythm of her hand as he released the clasp at the front of her bra and pushed the offending clothing out of his way.

Her brain was a haze as he kissed down her body, her loosely wrapped fingers around his cock slipping away as he blazed a trail from her neck to her breasts. She cried out as his tongue lapped at an already embarrassingly hard nipple, her hips undulating faster against his thigh as he rolled it between his teeth. She could almost taste release on the horizon.

She felt like she was on fire, his expert ministrations brining her to the edge embarrassingly fast as her hand stilted in its motions. Who knew her nipples were so sensitive?

Her tongue felt thick in her mouth as she groaned, Genma running soothing circles on her abused nipple before turning his attention to the next one. The rough pads of his fingers slid down her stomach, snaking under her underwear. She was glad she at least had the good sense to muffle her scream with the palm of her hand as he circled her clit.

Her abdomen quivered as her orgasm crashed into her, and she threw her head back as her whole body shook from the force of it. An airy gasp escaped her lips at the shock of just how quickly it had snuck up on her.

She whimpered when he didn't let up his pace, and she let her eyes drift up to his. She could almost taste the sweat that beaded on his temple as he continued the punishing pace on her sex. Her eyes rolled back as the second wave of her orgasm washed over her. It was all too much, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Her hands shot up to brace herself on him, her knees feeling weak as he strung out her high for what felt like forever.

He let out a groan of a word somewhere in the middle of it all, but she wouldn't have been able to repeat it if her life depended on it. The sound of her heart hammering in her ears drowned out any words he may have said. Mercifully, the sharp pangs of pleasure slowed before ending, and Ino let out a shuddering breath, willing her heartbeat to slow down to a healthier pace.

She whimpered as he extracted his fingers from her now ruined underwear, and she wrinkled her nose at him as he sucked them clean. She wanted to tell him he was gross for doing it, but the way her heart raced faster at the sight made it hard to deny that it was sexy as hell. She had to catch herself on the shelf behind her as he stepped away from her slowly to tuck himself back into his pants.

A pang of guilt went through her. He didn't even finish either. None of this went according to her plan. She reached out to stop him, and she narrowed her eyes at her hand as it shook from the effort. She had never orgasmed so hard she couldn't control her muscles. She felt like she had sparred with Team Gai for 3 hours straight, she was exhausted.

"Let me-"

"Don't worry about it, princess." He said, shooting her a grin as he tried to make himself at least a little presentable. She returned the gesture with a frown.

"But you didn't..." She protested, the words getting caught on her tongue as he stepped close to her, beginning the process of fixing her disheveled clothes. She blushed as the fingers that had just given her a mind-blowing orgasm hooked her bra back together and smoothed her top. She’d never had a man take care of her like that after they had sex before. It was nice.

"I said don't worry about it." He whispered, leaning close and pressing a small kiss to the corner of her mouth. She blushed but nodded, looking down at the forgotten box of ribbon. She was too tired to finish the rest of the centerpieces tonight.

"I should probably get home." She murmured as he pulled her skirt back down.

"Do you need help getting home?" He asked, and she bit her lip in thought. She should probably take his offer, but if anyone saw them together they would be the talk of the town, especially in this state.

"I think I'm going to take a small rest before going home. Thanks for all your help tonight, Genma." She said, and she could tell that the invitation to leave wasn't lost on him. The frown that flashed over his lips was gone faster than it appeared, and in its place was his usual cocky grin.

"I aim to please, princess." He said, and she rolled her eyes as he stepped away from her in a flourished bow.

"Whatever Genma. Be safe on your way home." She said, voice full of mirth at his antics. She watched as he grabbed what was left of the bottle of sake on his way out of the back room.

"Same to you, Ino." He said before exiting the shop. She relocked it behind him, trying to ignore the gnawing in her gut that dismissing him was probably a bad idea.

 


	3. He's Not the Brightest, OK?

Genma had planned to just go home, pass out and try to forget how badly he had messed up the night before. How he had messed up. There was….a lot to unpack with what happened at that flower shop.

Instead, he had found himself on Kurenai’s front step. The hour of night could only be described as _ungodly_ , and he could imagine how pissed off she was going to be when she opened the door. He had half a mind to go home, but it was too late now. He had already rung the doorbell.

Kurenai opened the door with a sharp yank, mouth already opened to undoubtedly throw insults at whomever had decided to wake the sleeping dragon. He wondered if he looked as awful as he felt though, because her jaw snapped shut with an audible click of her teeth and she stepped to the side to let him in.

“I’m sorry I woke you. I don’t know why I came here.” He murmured, scrubbing his face.

“What did you do?” She asked, her voice still hoarse with sleep. She led him to the kitchen, switching on the dimmer switch to illuminate her path to the tea.

“I may have….had foreplay in a supply closet.”

The sound of a mug crashing to the floor had his head whipping towards Kurenai.

“Jesus, let me help you clean this up.” He said, moving around the counter and stooping down to pick up the large pieces.

“I don’t think I heard you correctly, Genma Shiranui. _Foreplay_? In the _closet?_ ”

“Look I didn’t _mean_ for it to happen! She just. She wanted help getting a box and then suddenly-“ Kurenai’s hand in his face made him stop that train of thought.

“I don’t need details like that Genma. That’s Ino Yamanaka we are talking about, not some random woman at the bar.” She said, turning on her heel and going to get the broom from the closet. They were silent as she swept the shards of ceramic into a dust pan.

“I’ve ruined everything, haven’t I?” He murmured as she dumped the broken mug into the trash.

“I wouldn’t say that, necessarily. More like an unexpected detour on the path to _love_.” She teased, and Genma let out an audible groan.

“I’m not-“

“In love, yeah, whatever.” She said, waving her hand dismissively before getting another two mugs out. “But if sex wasn’t the destination on this little Ino trip, then what was?” 

“Sex was the destination.” He insisted as she filled the kettle and put it on the stove. She threw him a look, unconvinced.

“Then why are you so upset about getting what you wanted?”

That made Genma stop. Why _was_ he so upset? Maybe it was because he could still feel her curves under his fingers. And he wanted more already.

“What if she never wants to talk to me again?” He asked, adjusting his bandana. He didn’t think he left the best impression at that flower shop. There was a pensive silence between the two of them for a moment before Kurenai took a deep breath.

“Asuma was never the best with his words either.” She murmured, standing as the kettle began to whistle. “He asked me before he went out on a mission if I would be interested in having tea with him. After I said yes, he was gone for 5 weeks.” She chuckled as she took her box of green tea out of the drawer.

“I think I’m going to wait to talk to her until I know what to say.” He said. He caught the eye roll Kurenai gave at his decision.

“I’ve come to realize that Shinobi have no idea how to express their emotions.” She said simply, pushing a mug of steeping tea across the counter to him. She picked her mug up, giving him a lazy wave. “I’m going to bed. Feel free to sleep on the couch, Genma.” She said as she disappeared down the hallway.

Genma took his tea to the couch, setting it on the coffee table to just stare at it for a while as he decided what he would do next. He could avoid Ino until he figured out his brain. How hard could it be?

 ---

The answer was very hard, much to Genma’s surprise. He only managed three months of narrowly avoiding her before she caught him in the middle of the market place. He froze as a purple peacoat and blue eyes caught his vision. She looked rather unhappy with him as she walked up to him, groceries in hand.

“Long time no see, Shiranui.” Ino said, popping her hip out to rest a hand. He shifted the senbon in his mouth, waiting for the other shoe to drop. “Started to think you had been sent on a top-secret mission.”

If only. S-Ranked missions sounded like a vacation compared to the disappointment in her eyes. He let out a soft sigh.

“Hello Ino. No mission, just been…busy.” He finished lamely, looking past her to the pavement. He really had no excuse for what he had done.

“I see.”

“It’s not like that, Ino.” He said, furrowing his brows. It wasn’t. He _wanted_ to talk to her, he really did. He just didn’t know what to say about what happened in the summer.

“It sure feels that way.” She retorted icily, and he flinched. He deserved her cold demeanor, but people had started to watch them from the corner of his eye.

“Can we move somewhere more private, please?” He asked, only barely containing the urge to make it into a plea. He needed to talk to her. Just not here.

“There’s no need. The last few months I’ve come to realize you don’t want a repeat performance. I get it.” She said, looking up at him.

Genma’s mind short-circuited. Again? That was an option?  By the time he pulled himself from the daze those words threw him into, she had already disappeared into the crowd of civilians. The only way to get her attention now would be to cause a scene. He was tempted by the idea, but he felt a hand on his shoulder as he watched her blonde ponytail round the corner and disappear behind a building.

“Kakashi-sama needs you in his office, Shiranui-san.” Genma let out a low groan. He _really_ didn’t have time for this.

“Like…right now? Or can I do something really qu-“ Genma snapped his mouth shut as the Anbu threw daggers with their glare. He let out a long-suffering sigh and nodded. “I’ll be right there.” He grumbled, moving to a side alley before hopping to the rooftops.

What in the world would Kakashi want with him now? He had just gotten back from guard duty not too long ago, and he had been a good boy for a long while in regard to sexual harassment complaints. He slipped through the window of his Hokage’s office, looking at his old friend.

Kakashi was staring at him with what Genma could only describe as supreme irritation. He looked to his assistant, who had the same look plastered on his usually aloof face.

“….Hokage-sama?” He asked after a long moment of silence. That usually stirred up some response from Kakashi.

“Sit.” The Rokudaime said, pointing to the wooden chair across the desk from him. Genma did as he was told, eying his friend cautiously. He was pissed about something.

“What’s this about? I put in my last mission report, I swear.”

He watched Kakashi take a deep breath and rub the bridge of his nose in annoyance before speaking. “Do you know how often I get to see my fiancée outside of these four walls?”

Fiancée? What did that have to do anything? He had nothing to do with Sa…ku..ra.

Ah.

“No, sir, I don’t.” Genma said dutifully, already knowing where this conversation was going.

“2 hours a day. If I’m lucky, she gets home before I collapse into bed. I don’t need to tell you how I would rather spend those two hours, do I?” Kakashi said, and Genma grinned lightly.  

“No, Kakashi-sama.”

“Do you know how I’ve been spending those hours?” Kakashi asked, though by the tone of his voice Genma knew he was going to tell him anyway.

“Considering I am in here, I can only guess that it’s  not how you want to.”

“I’ve been listening to her complain. For three months. Every day. And she has been complaining about _you.”_ Genma felt the heat of anger and embarrassment rise to his face.

“I’m trying to-“ Was all he managed to get out before a shadow curled around his hand, sending needle sharp pains briefly up his arm. He looked at Shikamaru, who had his hands in his pockets. 

_“_ Your actions are starting to become troublesome for everyone. Fix them.”

Genma narrowed his eyes. “And what inconvenience has this caused you, Nara?” He spat, watching the shadow slither further up his forearm as Shikamaru leaned in.

“You’re ruining my night out with my friends. Ino does nothing but complain about you now a days. I just want things to return to normal. So fix it.” Shikamaru’s voice left no room for argument, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t try to. He looked to Kakashi.

“You used Anbu to summon me just to tell me to stop cock blocking you? That’s an extreme abuse of power, Hatake.” He accused, his tongue flicking his senbon in annoyance.

“It sure is. You know what else is an extreme abuse of power? Telling you that if you don’t get this fixed soon, you’ll be on D-ranked mission until I feel like giving you something else.” Kakashi warned, the rise of his brow the only indication that he was completely serious.

Genma shuddered. D-rank meant chasing cats and babysitting toddlers with twelve-year olds.

“Understood.” He grumbled, and the inky black shadow on his arm retreated.

“Good. Dismissed.” Genma narrowed his eyes at his friend before walking through the door to his office.

He needed to talk to Kurenai.

* * *

 

“Kurenai-sensei!” Ino exclaimed as her friend came through the door, a baby sling across her chest and an all too familiar red wagon trailing behind her. It was late autumn, which meant harvest time. “How did your garden do this year?” She asked, coming around the counter to peek into the bundle of wool on her chest.

“I lost my helper, but thankfully this one sleeps long enough to get everything picked. I did quite well, thanks to your advice.”

“You’ll have to throw a party with all that food….May I hold her?” Ino asked. Mirai was the one of the last connections she had to her teacher.

“Of course. You know, Shikamaru already held her.” Kurenai teased as she unwound the infant from her little cocoon. Ino gingerly took her, holding her close to her chest. She looked so much like Kurenai, with her wild black hair and red eyes. She did have Asuma’s skin tone. She pushed back tears as Mirai wrapped a tiny hand around her finger.

“That doesn’t surprise me. He’s not big on children, but she’s…”

“Different. Shikamaru said that too.” The woman laughed, taking a step back and looking around the store. “Speaking of helpers.” Ino looked up from the baby.

“What about helpers?” Ino rolled her eyes, gently rocking the cubby bundle in her arms. “If you are talking about yours, I haven’t seen him in a month. He’s been noticeably avoiding this block of Konoha.”

“So, you’ve noticed he was gone?” Kurenai said, and Ino snorted at her sly tone.

“Not in the way you hoped, probably.”

“You know, I’ve known Genma for a long time. He’s an emotionally stunted man.” Kurenai said from her spot next to some peace lilies, and the irony of the scene wasn’t lost on her. Kurenai being peace bringer between the two of them. Not that there was much to bring peace to.

“And your point is?” She asked, turning her attention to Mirai once more.

“He isn’t entirely sure on how to handle you.”

“I’m not entirely sure how to handle him either, Kurenai. All he needed to do was tell me it was a one-time deal and it could have left out a lot of bitter feelings.” She said, stroking the black fuzz on the top of the baby’s head.

“He was busy trying to figure out what he was doing.” Kurenai said. “Also, you make it sound like you wouldn’t have minded if he wanted more.”

“Perhaps, but there’s no use dwelling on what could have been, now is there?” Ino admitted, pressing a small kiss to Mirai’s forehead before looking up to Kurenai. She had taken a small potted plant under her arm. “I spent half of my life chasing a man who wanted nothing to do with me. I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t have much time anymore to play games.” Her cool blue eyes watched as Kurenai slid the plant onto the checkout area before she leaned against the counter. It was silent between them for a moment.

“I can understand that.” Kurenai said simply, and they were quiet as the woman gathered the rest of her supplies. Ino begrudgingly handed Mirai back to her before moving back to her rightful place behind the counter. She watched as they left after they paid, slumping against the counter in a huff as they disappeared from view. She didn’t care about him anymore.

 

She couldn’t. 

 


	4. Smooth Criminal

Ino looked out the window at the snow that gently blanketed the pavement outside. She had always loved the snow, even if it did mean that it made her business more difficult to run. The frost threatened her plants in transit, as well as slowed the flow of customers coming in. None the less, Christmas was one of her favorite times of year.

It was hard to get into the spirit though, the last few months of whatever weird dance she was doing with Genma putting a damper on her usual joyfulness. She didn’t feel strung along, per say. She could, in theory, walk away at any time. She had even stopped grumbling to Sakura about her love life woes. If she could even call them woes.

Now she was just silently pining like a teenager. Ino sighed to herself. Getting emotionally attached to yet another emotionally unavailable man. She would never learn. It hadn’t even particularly been the most spectacular romp she had ever had. But there was just _something_ about him that drew her near.

The chiming of the front door made her snap out her silent contemplation and she smiled at Kurenai as she brushed the snow off her coat.

“Kurenai-sensei! How are you today?” She asked cheerfully, walking to her and giving her a hug. She had just seen her last week, but it was always good to see her.

“I’m doing well. I’m sorry this isn’t much of a friendly visit. I need a specialty arrangement to be made on short notice. I can help if you need me to, of course, but it’s for tonight and I need it for before I walk out of here.” Kurenai said, a small smile on her face. Ino raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“Flowers won’t last very long at Asuma-sensei’s grave in this weather. Are you sure you want to make one for today?” Ino asked, looking at the frost on the window pane in doubt. “I wouldn’t want you to waste your money.”

“It’s for a dinner party, not the graveyard. I got a sitter for tonight and a night in with friends sounded divine. I’m sorry it’s on such short notice.” Kurenai said, crimson eyes wide with hope. “Can you help?”

Ino relaxed a bit, nodding her head. “Of course I can. Thanks for thinking of me.” She said, smiling as Kurenai rolled her eyes and pulled a small slip of paper from her coat.

“As if I would think of anyone else.” Ino took the sheet and looked down at the relatively short list of flowers. Nodding her head absently, she started to formulate the placement in her head.

“Let’s get started then!” She said, pulling Kurenai to the back. She pulled a vase from under the island, setting it on the counter before gathering all the flowers she needed.

“So, is Shikamaru going to be there or is this an ‘adults only’ occasion?” Ino asked as she began grouping flowers together. Kurenai snickered at her question.

“Shikamaru is spending the holiday in Suna, so it’s ‘adults only’, as you so eloquently put it.” She teased, and Ino let out a small giggle.

They worked together, chatting about nothing as they put the eclectic bouquet of dahlias, daisies, tuberoses, and tulips together. She added some greenery and baby’s breath to pulling it together and admire the finished product. It was vibrant, and she hoped it would bring joy to the other team leaders.

Ino wrapped the vase in cellophane before bringing it out to the front. She felt like she had been dancing around with Kurenai the whole time she had been here, circling a subject neither of them wanted to breach. She rang up the arrangement, handing her the change before the words spewed out of her like vomit.

“I haven’t seen Genma around for a bit.” She said, and she could have kicked herself at the desperation in her voice. For any information about him. It had only been one night, for fuck’s sake.

Kurenai just gave her a knowing look. “He’s been on back to back missions lately. He just got home yesterday.” She said, and Ino nodded, moving to walk Kurenai to the door.

“I’m glad to hear he got home safely, then.” She said, trying to get some semblance of a cool demeanor back. He didn’t matter anymore. He couldn’t.

“He misses you.” Ino froze with her hand around Kurenai’s shoulder. He missed her? Why? He barely made eye contact with her now a days, let alone spoke to her.

“He knows where to find me if he wants to tell me that.” Ino said, gentle but firm. She tried to squelch the hope that blossomed in her chest. She walked Kurenai to the door, waving as she walked into the cold of the evening.

She looked at the clock and realized it was close to closing time. The vase had taken longer to make than she had realized. She weighed her options, deciding that no one else was going to come in and demand flowers at this time of night, and locked the front door. She flipped the sign to close before setting off to clean and cash out the register.

Men always complained about women being complicated, but honestly, men made no sense sometimes. He missed her but doesn’t talk to her. Actively avoids her, even. It had been months and the most she had seen him was at the bar. Just like before all this happened.

Except now he didn’t talk to anyone, save for his small group of drinking buddies. He never seemed to linger at the bar to flirt with the bartender, instead sitting at a table near the back. She hadn’t even seen him take anyone home, not that she had been watching for it.

He also seemed to smile less.

Ino furrowed her brows as she marked the tally for the day in the books, snapping the ledger closed and putting on her coat. She pulled her purple scarf around her neck to block out the midwinter cold before setting out for home.

The journey wasn’t a long one to her clan’s compound, and the soft crunch of the snow lulled her into a calmed state once more. She stopped as she saw the outline of something placed in front of the iron gates to her home. She looked around in caution, but felt no other chakra signatures, and took a few slow steps closer until she could finally make out a familiar vase.

Kurenai’s flowers.

Her eyes narrowed as they caught the glint of metal in the stone wall that blocked most of her home from view. A senbon. She made her way over to it after picking up the flowers, slipping her glove off to yank the note that it held to her.  

She rolled her eyes as she read, slipping into the compound. She had half a mind to crumple it up as she walked around the outside deck to get into the warmth of her wing. Instead, she placed bother the note and the vase on her dining table. The arrangement looked almost garish in comparison to the table it sat on, the flowers casting a shadow over most of the table. Ino went to her wall where her phone was wired in and picked up the receiver. The voice on the other end sounded comically hopeful.

“Hello?”

“I can’t believe you had Kurenai-sensei do your dirty work, you asshole.” She grumbled into the receiver, walking over to a potted fern. She picked the dead leaves off with a more force with strictly necessary, but she couldn’t help it. She had made her own first date proposal. She felt like an idiot.

She also hated how sweet she found it.

“…I’m sorry?” Genma said, and Ino huffed, turning away from the plant to instead tangle her fingers in the telephone cord.

“At least tell me you didn’t make her pay for it too?”

“I’ll have you know I gave her a ridiculous amount of money to get that bouquet.” Genma said, and his indignant tone made her giggle.

“Oh, so my bouquets are a ridiculous waste of money?” She said, biting her lip as she goaded him once more. She had missed the sound of his voice.

“You know that’s not what…” Genma groaned out, and she could hear the click of metal against his teeth. She briefly wondered how long he had sat by the phone, hoping she would call. “Look. I’m not hearing a yes…but I’m not hearing a no?”

Genma’s usually cockiness was lost over the phone, Ino realized. He needed that smirk to really solidify it.

“I called, didn’t I?” She asked, rolling her eyes as she tossed the dead leaves into the compost.

“Well, yeah, but you also just berated me. Not even a hello.” He quipped, and she tossed her long pony tail over her shoulder before wedging the phone between her shoulder and her ear. “Forgive me if I’m feeling mixed signals.”

“Well I’ve been feeling mixed signals for months, welcome to the club.” She murmured under her breath. She fought the blush off her cheeks. She didn’t particularly want him to have the pleasure of knowing his stupid grand gesture worked, but she had also been waiting for this moment for an embarrassingly long time. “Dinner better be nice.”

“It will be. I’ve saved a few paychecks for it.” Genma said, and she could almost see the grin on his face.

“I’m going to be wearing my nicest dress-“

“I can’t wait to take it off you.”

“-I don’t want…” Her words died on her lips as she felt her whole body flush at the promise. “…that’s bold of you to assume you’re taking anything off of me, Shiranui.”

“Good fortune never favored the meek.” He said, and Ino scrunched her nose in a smile.

“You’re a gross old man.” She said, eyeing the note on the table.

“I’ll pick you up at 7.” He promised, and she felt her toes tingle at his words.

“You better.” Ino teased before hanging up the phone. She slid down the wall she had been leaning on, feeling both light hearted _and_ lightheaded. She sat on the floor for a moment, trying not to squeal like a child. She took a deep breath, letting her shoulders relax for a moment before deciding to make dinner. She stood slowly, passing the vase and the note as she made her way to the kitchen.

_Ino_

_I’m sorry I’m so bad at being into you. I want to take you out tomorrow. If you would like that too, my number is at the bottom._

_Genma_

_P.S. Kurenai says to tell you sorry for leaving the flowers out in the cold._

_P.P.S I think I love you. If that’s not something you can handle, please don’t call._

_P.P.P.S I hate writing in pen because I can’t take that post-script away._


End file.
